Providers and patients must be confident that the electronic health information technology (health IT) products and systems they use are secure, can maintain data confidentiality, can work with other systems to share information, and can perform a set of well-defined functions. To this end, a Final Rule on an initial set of standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for adoption by the HHS Secretary was issued on July 13, 2010. This Final Rule represents the first step in an incremental approach to adopting standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria to enhance the interoperability, functionality, utility, and security of health IT and to support its meaningful use. The certification criteria adopted in this initial set establish the required capabilities and related standards and implementation specifications that certified electronic health record (EHR) technology will need to include in order to, at a minimum, support the achievement of meaningful use Stage 1 (beginning in 2011) by eligible professionals and eligible hospitals under the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs.
In a related announcement, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) also issued a the minimum requirements that providers must meet through their use of certified EHR technology in order to qualify for the payments. Learn about the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.
2011/03/31
